Apple is reportedly working to bring Face ID to the next-generation iPhone Duo, with early prototypes testing the technology under the phone’s foldable outer display.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, speaking on his latest Power On podcast, Apple is “actively” working on Face ID under the display as it looks to address one of the biggest compromises of its first foldable iPhone.
The current iPhone Duo relies on Touch ID instead, marking a return to the fingerprint authentication that Apple largely abandoned with the introduction of Face ID on the iPhone X.
While Touch ID works reliably on the first-generation Duo, it can take a bit longer to unlock than Face ID. Bringing facial recognition to its successor could make the experience more familiar for existing iPhone users, especially those who are used to unlocking their phones without touching a button.
However, fitting Face ID into a foldable design isn’t quite as easy.
The iPhone Duo has both an inner and an outer display, which means Apple has to consider how facial recognition works when the device is folded or unfolded. Adding sensors to both screens could increase manufacturing complexity and cost, while the phone’s particularly thin display leaves limited space for additional components.
Gurman also pointed to the smaller Dynamic Island hardware on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max as evidence of Apple’s progress in moving more technology under its displays.
The first generation iPhone Duo already has an under-display camera, which suggests that the company is gradually working towards a less intrusive front-facing setup.
Face ID may not be the only change coming to the next model. Gurman also suggested that Apple could introduce the Action Button, which first appeared on the iPhone 15 Pro, giving users another customizable shortcut.
For now, these features remain in the prototype stage, and there is no guarantee that they will make it into the final product. However, the reported test suggests that Apple is already looking at ways to improve the design of the iPhone Duo without compromising the form factor that makes its first foldable stand out.